March 07, 2013

Lately, I got to Pinterest when I'm looking for card ideas. With being back to work full time, along with working on a degree, and taking care of a family, I don't have as much time to stamp as I used to. I don't always have a lot of time to think up new layout ideas and color combos. I love that I can find ideas on Pinterest and then tweak them a bit to work with the supplies I have on hand. Pinterest has been so helpful in coming up with cards for my once-a-month stamp club. This card is one of the cards we did for stamp club this past Sunday night. The original is HERE on Pinterest. Unfortunately, the watermark is too hard to see and when clicking on the picture, I get an error page so I'm not sure who to credit. My stamp club member ladies loved the design!

The larger of the squares are cut at 1.25 x 1.25 inches and the small squares are cut at 1 x 1 inch. I used a corner rounder punch to round only two of the corners on each. The top square is put on with a Stampin' Dimensional (pop-dot) and the rounded corners are curled up a bit. I used the Patio Party designer series paper and one of the Rich Razzleberry buttons from the Sale-a-bration button and ribbon pack. I used two Stampin' Dimentionals for the button so that it stood up enough on the card.

March 06, 2013

This month's stamp club included this sweet butterfly "Thank You" card. I found the original card (made by Krystal De Leeuw) on Pinterest. I tweaked the design a bit and love how it came out. Just that little bit of dimension by popping the small embossed butterflies up from the punched butterflies beneath, along with folding their wings in, brings this card to life.

I appreciate there being snow on the ground in winter because it really keeps things lit up. It's much easier to look at then brown and gray. However, I'm over winter now and would love to move on to spring and butterflies.

March 05, 2013

At my stamp club last month, we created this adorable "get well" card. I can't, for the life of me, find the original card that I saw with this set up so if you recognize the sketch, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. I originally found the card on Pinterest but it seems that I never pinned it.

I've seen cards with real band-aids on them, but for some reason, that really makes me feel icky to look at. I created this fake band-aid using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. Very easy!

I cut a 3 1/2 x 1 inch wide strip of Creamy Caramel cardstock (which is now retired, but so close to the color of a band-aid) but you could probably use Crumb Cake cardstock. The corners are rounded with a corner rounder punch. The middle piece of the band-aid is 1 x 1 inch square. I sponged around the edges of the band-aid pieces with Crumb Cake ink.

January 08, 2013

Everything you need to create adorable Valentines card is included in this easy kit. It even comes with a mailbox to carry them to school or work and serves for a great place for others to deliver their Valentine's cards to you!

Everything you need to create 12 beautiful cards and a matching mailbox is included in this ONE KIT!

Get your kit for only $18.95!

Kits are ready to shipwithin 1-2 business days so make sure to order right away to have your Valentine's cards ready for the big day!

Make- Your-Own Valentines Kit - $18.95(plus $3 shipping)

Order two kits and get a DISCOUNT!

2 Valentines Card Kits - $34.90 (SAVE $3.00!)(plus $6 shipping)

Felt Flower Valentines Kit

This set of 12 precious felt flower valentines are a unique way to show your love and affection to your friends and loved ones this Valentine's Day. They also make the perfect Valentine's for your kids to bring to school and give to friends and teachers.

This set is fully prepped so all you need to supply is some glue sticks and a hot glue gun for a fun time of Valentine-making. When you're done, put your name and the name of your recipient on the sweet little tag, give your Valentine's and watch the person's face light up when they receive it.

October 05, 2012

No experience necessary......these kits come with everything you need except for a pair of scissors to snip your embroidery floss with!

I've created these kits from my love of working with felt and basic embroidery. They're incredibly easy and so much fun to put together and you'll be surprised at the accomplishment you feel once you're finished with them. Not to mention the fact that you get to show them off afterward! You'll get a WOW wherever you take them.

Buy one or get both at a special bundle price!

Felt Cell Phone Kits

The Felt Cell Phone kit is great for just about any size cell phone. It can be carried by the little felt strap or slipped into your purse or backpack. These cases make perfect gifts for teenagers as well as grown-ups. Or give a kit as a gift to an aspiring young crafter so they can feel the accomplishment making it all on their own.

The Felt Cell Phone Kit includes:

High quality wool blended felt

All pre-cut pieces

Embroidery floss

Beads & button

Embroidery needle

Fully detailed Tutorial CD with complete instructions and video links

Felt Cell Phone Kits - $13.97 (FREE shipping)

Please specify, in the message section when checking out, which color you'd like your cell phone case to be (flower will coordinate):

Cream

Oatmeal (as shown in photo)

Royal Red

Plum Purple

Coral Pink

Charcoal Gray

Pumpkin Pie

Embroidered Felt Purse Kit

This purse is wonderful for all ages. It can used as needlework tote to bring your embroidery projects with you wherever you go. It can also become a treasured purse for a little girl who will show it off with pride. Better yet, this is a great project for a young girl to be proud of doing all on her own!

The Embroidered Felt Purse Kit includes:

High quality wool blended felt

All pre-cut pieces

Embroidery floss

Beads

Embroidery needle

Fully detailed Tutorial CD with complete instructions and video links

Embroidered Felt Purse Kit - $17.97 (FREE shipping)

Please specify, in the message section when checking out, which color you'd like your purse to be (flowers will coordinate):

October 02, 2012

I went to a baby shower on Saturday and when I go to an event bearing a gift, I love to go handmade all the way. It's been a while since I've posted here on my blog, but I'm trying to get back in the habit, so for this post, I have 4 different projects to show.

I recently got the Papillon Potpourri set and the Elegant Butterfly punch to match and CASEd this card from Wendy Fassbender to use at my Stamp Club last week. I tweaked the design just a bit but love her overall concept. Of course, I also adore anything in rainbow order so as soon as I saw her card, I was all over it. This made a great club project and was simple to prep for. Wendy used punches for her squares but since I don't have both sizes of the square punches, I just used my paper cutter and that worked just fine...and fast!

I had a plain white handled bag that I dressed up for the gifts I made. I went very simplistic with this due to time and also because I think that sometimes less is more.

I used the Elegant Butterfly punch to make a rainbow assortment of butterflies for both sides of the bag. For the clouds, I used the scallop circle punch and cut them in half. I folded the wings of the butterflies in and used a little bit of 2-Way glue on the middle of them to stick them to the bag. I love how they look like they're flying across the bags and fluttering their wings.

Aren't these little booties so adorable? I found the pattern for the booties in a local Ben Franklin's store and fell in love with them because they were so cute and because they were made with felt. Hand stitching on felt is one of my most favorite things to do. It's so therapeutic. The pattern calls for machine sewing the booties, but I love doing that blanket stitch and all the embroidery work. I used the Baskets & Blooms Big Shot die to cut out the little flowers and I hand cut the leaves.

August 17, 2012

As most of you know, I'm back in school full time to earn my degrees in psychology with plans to become an art therapist (using art as a means of expression in therapy sessions). I'm sure you all know that college textbooks don't come cheap either. My classes start in 3 weeks and those impending textbook prices are what inspired this AWESOME SALE!

This sales gives you AND me a chance to go "back to school" at a great price!

Pick ANY 5 Classes - Mix & Match!

At this special pricing, you get any 5 classes on CD for only $49.95!

That's only $9.99 per Class!

PLUS - You get FREE shipping!

You're getting over 60-70% off the original class price! But this is only for 5 days! Offer ends on Tuesday, August 21st.

Choose from 21 Classes!

With so many classes to choose from, going "back to school" is something to look forward to!

Choose ANY 5 Classes from the following:

(click on the links to check out all the details of the class, then come back here for this special offer price!)

July 14, 2012

Wow.....I just realized how neglected this blog has been! There's been a lot going on here in the Martin household over the last year and some things got put on the back burner, but I'm determined to get back into the blogging world because I've also been keeping my creative juices going since I've last blogged here.

I start my fall semester with a full course load (4 classes) in the beginning of September.

My daughter is off on her first missions trip for 6 weeks this summer.

I've been helping to take care of my 83-year old grandfather, who is one of the kindest and gentlest men I know. I take him to his appointments, clean his house, and we go out to lunch. I get to hear the best stories ever from years gone by.

I've been blogging about my personal life over at Martin Family Adventure if you'd like to catch up with some of the other stuff that's been going on.

In the meantime, I just finished creating a beautiful scrapbook for a friend of mine, Russ Jones (he has one of the best blogs out there about his adventures as a stay-at-home dad - The Stay at Homer). A few years ago, I created a scrapbook for his wife's birthday that commemorated their first son's first year of life. I was honored and thrilled that Russ asked me to do another book for their second son. This time, Russ presented it to his wife for their anniversary yesterday!

I got news from Russ this morning that his wife had no clue whatsoever that she was going to get this gift and she was over the moon about it. It got to Russ' house just before he and the boys were headed out to see their mom at work during her break. The timing was perfect!

I intentionally left the journaling blocks blank so that Russ and Gayle can fill them in with their memories. No one can do that better than mom and dad. :) Isn't Alistair just the cutest little guy you ever did see? And their oldest son, Noble, is just as cute!

I've also been working on other creations these past 7 months. I've got a lot of cutesy stuff on my Etsy Shop and would love to have you take a look.

January 23, 2012

Everything you need to create adorable Valentines card is included in this easy kit. It even comes with a mailbox to carry them to school or work and serves for a great place for others to deliver their Valentine's cards to you!

January 10, 2012

Valentine's is right around the corner and what better way to show your love for someone than to make them a gift from the heart and hands.

With this up-coming 3 day class, you'll learn to make 3 heartfelt projects...perfect for your budget, that won't take up too much of your valuable time and you probably have everything to make these projects already in your craft stash!

This upcoming 3-day online course will show you how to create gifts that are heartfelt, easy to create and unique!

From January 26-28, a new Gift from the Heart project will be uploaded to the course. These gifts are truly unique and not only do they make great Valentine's gifts, but they are great to make all year round!

Each day of the class will include:

Full color, step-by-step photos

Detailed instructional tutorial

Dimensions included for cardstock cutting purposes

Bonus tips, ideas and suggestions

Extra sample photos of multiple projects

PDF files so you can print out the tutorial to keep in a binder to go back to every time you'd like to make these gifts again!

Printable files so you can customize your projects for multiple occasions - not just Valentine's! These files make this course even MORE valuable!

All of the Gifts from the Heart in this course can be made with most, if not ALL, of the supplies you already have in your papercrafting stash! This course will show you how to create gifts that won't break the bank but will get a WOW and a big smile from the special people you gift them to. And just in time for Valentine's Day!

(This course will be archived so you'll have access to it during and after the course so you can create at your own pace)

Register today!

Course registration: $19.95

Tutorial CD option available!

You now also have the option to purchase this course as a Tutorial CD! By choosing this option, you can have the convenience of having this entire class, plus the PDF files, all loaded onto one CD!

Tutorial CDs are ready to ship immediately!

Gifts from the Heart Tutorial CD - $20.95(shipping included)

Once you've registered, you'll receive an invitation granting you special "student only" access to the course site so that you can start getting your "creative groove" on once the class starts on January 26th!

The Gifts from the Heart Online Course will rock your creative world......and the best thing about it is that you probably already have almost everything you need for these projects......and you can make them over and over again!

Looking forward to seeing you in class!

Congrats! The winner for the free pass to this class is Angela Khan!

Great class idea! My favorite Valentine's tradition is leaving small gifts for the kids to wake up to that morning. I usually hang a paper cone on their doorknob with a cookie, some chocolates, pink hot cocoa mix, and of course a Valentine from Mom & Dad. Fun stiff! Thanks for the chance to win!

December 02, 2011

With the holidays right around the corner, we're all looking for the perfect gift for our friends and family. We're also looking for ways to do this economically. I have the solution for some of your gifts and packaging needs this holiday season and I've made it an economical purchase for you, too!

Fast, fun and easy projects that are perfect for holiday gifts and fabulous packaging for you to use for all of your gifts this season - I've got them both for you!

I'm offering 2 of my most popular online courses (as well as the Tutorial CD option) for a deep discount! You can now get both classes for the price of ONE!

Creative Photo Gifts

Packaging Extravaganza

This class is already fully loaded to the class site for instant access. No waiting! You can get started right away on your gifts and packaging for the holiday season.

2 for the price of 1

For the price of one class, you get BOTHthe "Creative Photo Gifts" and "Packaging Extravaganza" classes!

You'll get a total of 10 project tutorials for the price of 5!

Through Monday, Dec. 7th, you can purchase this class at a $2 discount!

2 for 1 Online Class - $23.95

(class will be $25.95 on Dec. 8th)

This class is already fully loaded to the class site for instant access. No waiting! You can get started right away on your gifts and packaging for the holiday season.

Tutorial CD option - READY TO SHIP!

You also have the option to purchase this course as a Tutorial CD! By choosing this option, you can have the convenience of having this entire class, plus the PDF files, all loaded onto one CD and saving space on your hard drive!

2 for 1 Class Tutorial CD: $29.95

Price includes shipping and Tutorial CDs are ready to ship!Once you've registered, you'll receive an invitation granting you special "student only" access to the course site so that you can start getting your "creative groove on!"

The Creative Photo Gifts & Packaging Extravaganza courses will rock your creative world......and the best thing about it is that you probably already have almost everything you need for these projects......and you can make them over and over again!

November 22, 2011

Get a head start on your holiday scrapbook with my Scrapbook-in-a-Day Album!

A 20-page album in an 6x6" size, decorated and ready to put your photos in after the holidays. And there's many ways that you create your own Holiday Scrapbook-in-a-Day album no matter what your schedule is, no matter where you live! Read on for more details.

Get a head start on your memories!

You can get a good head start on putting your holiday memories in a beautiful keepsake album and I've made it super easy for you with my new Holiday Scrapbook-in-a-Day!

Using our Letters To Santa Designer Series paper and the Cherry Trim 6x6" album, the Scrapbook-in-a-Day is the perfect solution to creating a gorgeous album ready to put your photos in after the holidays, or even to give as a gift to loved ones.

I've created 4 different ways that you can have your own Holiday Scrapbook-in-a-Day!

Come to the Class in my Studio!

Registration for this In-Studio class is due December 7th.

Seating is limited so don't wait to regsiter!

When: Saturday, December 17th

Time: 10 am - noon

Where: My Studio in Ferrsiburg, VT

Cost: $40 per person

Please bring scissors and adhesive

Everything will be ready for you when you get here, including yummy holiday snacks!

All of your pieces will be pre-cut and ready to assemble your album during the class time. Not only will everything be prepped for you, but you'll also receive the Cherry Trim 6x6" album and your class fee also includes cardstock and embellishments to add to your pages.

Scrapbook-in-a-Day Class - December 17th- $40.00

Seating for this class is first paid, first reserved. Seating is limited so please register today!

* if you've registered for the In Studio class and can't attend for any reason, you'll still receive all of your supplies.

Scrapbook-in-a-Day To-Go Kit

If you can't make the class on Dec. 17th here at my studio, there's the option of purchasing a To-Go Kit so you can put your album together at home.

The Scrapbook-in-a-Day To-Go Kit includes:

Cherry Trim 6x6" album

Cardstock, patterned paper and embellishments (cut and prepped)

CD tutorial with full color photos and instructions to put your album together

Everything will come prepped and ready for you to assemble your album, along with a CD tutorial showing you how to put your pages together.

You'll need to provide your own adhesive, but everything else is done for you.

Scrapbook-in-a-Day To-Go Kit - $40.00 (plus $6.95 Priority shipping)

(please allow 2 weeks for shipping - US orders only for To-Go Kits)

Tutorial File

If you'd like to put your album together all on your own and with your own supplies, I'm also offering a Tutorial File for purchase.

Do you want your ablum made for you? I've got the solution for that, too!

You can now purchased a Finished Holiday Scrapbook Album!

Your album will arrive on your doorstep completely assembled and ready for you to put your photos and journaling in as soon as you develop your holiday photos! Perhaps you'd like to get more than one - keep one for yourself and give one as a gift! These albums make great holiday gifts for loved ones!

Finished Holiday Scrapbook Album - $55.00

(please allow 2 weeks for shipping)

Because this is a finished item, International Orders are welcome! Please contact me for shipping outside the US.

November 02, 2011

With the holidays right around the corner and the economy making us tighten our holiday spending, many of us are looking to create beautiful and meaningful handmade gifts. Are you looking to "go beyond" this year and create amazing gifts and use what you have right in your paper crafting stash? Then the "Blowing" online course and tutorial CD is just what you need to have you creating gifts that your loved ones and friends will be able to show off and treasure for years to come. Turn your paper-crafting stash into jewelry!

The "Blowing Baubles" Online Coursewill walk you through techniques to create cost effective, yet gorgeous jewelry using what you have in your paper crafting stash.

From November 14-18, a new "Blowing Baubles" PDF file will be loaded to the site. You'll use these over and over again!

The class will include:

* 5 days of techniques and instruction encompassing a total of 5 projects* Full color, step-by-step photos* Detailed instructional tutorials* Supply lists for all techniques* PDF files so you can print out the tutorial to keep in a binder to go back to every time you'd like to make jewelry again!

This course was created to use things that you most likely already have in your crafting stash so you're probably all ready to get creating!

(This course will be archived so you'll have access to it during and after the course so you can create at your own pace

Class starts Monday - register today!

Course Registration: $25.97

NEW CLASS OPTION:You now also have the option to purchase this course as a Tutorial CD! By choosing this option, you can have the convenience of having this entire class, plus the PDF files, all loaded onto one CD!

Blowing Baubles Tutorial CD: $29.95Price includes shipping.Tutorial CDs are ready to ship immediatelyOnce you've registered, your Paypal receipt is your confirmation for the class. About a week before class starts, you'll receive an invitation granting you special "student only" access to the course site so that you can start getting your "creative groove" on once the class starts on November 14th!

The "Blowing Baubles" Online Course will have you using and looking at your paper-crafting supplies in a whole new way and I look forward to having you in class!We have a winner! Thanks to everyone that entered the give-away! Congrats to

Denise Foor!

Erika--Love the colors in the Dasher necklace and earrings! Wow, I would love to win your free class giveaway...what a treat! Thanks for the chance to win.

October 12, 2011

If you've never scrapbooked before or if you've been scrapbooking for years, this class is for you! This new class is all about "stampbooking," which is my take on scrapbooking with your stamps. So many of us have countless stamps in our collection that can be put to so many more uses than just cards. If you have pictures that you want to showcase in meaningful and creative albums, big or small, and want to use what you already have on hand, this course is tailored for you.

The "Stampbooking 101" Online Course will walk you through techniques to create pages,mini albums and your own embellishments, as well as tips on journaling and layout design.

When you start Stampbooking, a whole new creative world opens up to you. You'll find allnew ways to use your stamps and you'll also find a new way to scrapbook. One of the best thingsabout this course is that the only thing you'll need to think about for supplies is to make sure you have some photos printed.

From October 24-28, a new "Stampbooking 101" PDF file will be loaded to the site, full oftechniques & layout sketches. And, you'll use these over and over again!

The Class includes:

* 5 days of techniques and instruction (on journaling, layout concepts, using your stampsand crafting supplies to create embellishments, creating miniature & pocket albums, etc.)* Full color, step-by-step photos* Detailed instructional tutorials* Supply lists for all techniques* Extra sample photos of multiple scrapbook pages* 20 Scrapbook sketches for your layout inspiration* PDF files so you can print out the tutorial to keep in a binder to go back to every timeyou'd like to create pages and albums again! * Video tutorials showcasing techniques you can use on your layouts.

Because you already have paper crafting & stamping supplies in your stash, all you need are somephotos and you're ready to get creating!

Class starts Monday - so register today!

Course registration: $25.97

NEW CLASS OPTION: You now have the option to purchase this course as a Tutorial CD!By choosing this option, you can have the convenience of having this entire class, plus the PDF files,all loaded onto one CD!

Stampbooking 101 Tutorial CD:$29.95

The Winner of the blog give-away for a free pass to this course is.....

Hi- I don't know alot about scrapbooking and that's why this class would be WONDERFUL to win! I did scrapbook my wedding and that turned out ok. Your last class on the fabric luncheon kit was wonderful and I enjoyed it very much! Thanks for the chance to win this tutorial! Kay

August 23, 2011

With school just around the corner, along with those of us that like to pack our lunch for work, this reusable Lunch-To-Go Ensemble is perfect for those that need to carry lunch on the go. And you'll be "going green" because everything in this ensemble is machine washable!

With Stampin' Up's exclusive Designer Series fabrics that match our colors and patterned papers, you can create beautifully coordinated projects in your paper crafting and also as sewn fabric projects.

The "Sewing with Stampin' Up Fabrics" e-book series will show you, step-by-step, how to use Stampin' Up's gorgeous fabric collections to create easy and unique projects that are perfectly color coordinated.

Only $14.95 for e-book!

The first in the "Sewing with Stampin' Up Fabrics" series, the "Lunch-To-Go Ensemble" e-book is ready for download and includes 4 step-by-step, full color photo tutorials to make each of the projects in this ensemble:

Lined Lunch Bag

Lined Sandwich Wrap

Lined Snack Pouch

Fabric Napkin

This ensemble features Stampin' Up's new Spice Cake Designer Series Fabrics and buttons. For only $14.95 for this amazing e-book, that's only $3.73 for each project!

Lunch-To-Go Ensemble e-book - $14.95

As a long-time sewer and 10-year Stampin' Up demonstrator, I know that you'll love this new e-book that brings a new dimension to using Stampin' Up products!Thanks for all the comments in the give-away and the great lunch ideas! The winner for the give-away is comment #18 - Sandi DaileyPosted by: Sandi Dailey | August 24, 2011 at 07:55 PM

I need all the help I can get when it comes to using SU's fabrics. I've bought them all (some more than once) -- so I hope I win your free e-book. My favorite food for lunch is a peanut butter and "butter" sandwitch on soft white bread!!